Total BevAlc sales growth decelerated in the two-week period ending April 6, reflecting stronger volume declines and slightly rising average pricing growth, according to Goldman Sachs Equity Research’s latest analysis of NielsenIQ data.
Nielsen uses US x AOC (extended All Outlet Combined) including convenience stores to summarize multi-channel markets and aggregate all national cross-outlet market data, and includes certain retailers (such as Whole Foods Market) that other providers do not.
Here’s the overview:
- Dollar sales fell -0.8% in the two-week period, compared to +1.6% in the four-weeks and +0.2% in the 12-weeks.
- Volume growth declines accelerated to -2.4%, versus -1.4% in the four-week period and -2.8% in the 12-week period.
- Pricing growth remained strong, up 3.3% in the two-weeks compared to +3.0% in the four-week period and +3.1% in the 12-week period.
- From a category standpoint, volume performance decelerated across the board for wine, beer, spirits, FMB, hard seltzer and cider.
Ready-to-Drink Cocktails
Dollar sales growth for spirit-based RTDs were positive but decelerated: +18.3% in the two-weeks versus +21.2% in the four-week period and +38.1% in the 52-week period. Volumes were down +19.1% in the two-weeks versus +22.1% in the four-week period and 3+9.6% in the 52-weeks.
Wine-based RTD cocktail sales were also down slightly in the period at +32.4% compared to +34% in the four-weeks and +23.3% in the 52-weeks, while volumes were up +31.7% compared to +33% in the four-weeks and +20.4% in the 52-weeks.
High Noon outpaced the category, with sales up +28% and volume just behind at +27.5%, and a +0.4% average pricing increase. Still vying for the second spot, Cutwater saw sales rise +30.1%, with volumes up +26.6% and pricing up +2.7%. Nutl also posted high growth (+90.4%) but slowed versus +155% in the 52-week period.
On the other hand, lapping its one-year anniversary, Jack Daniel’s RTD dollar sales growth dropped sharply, down -10.4% for two-weeks versus +172.2% in the 52-weeks.
Dogfish Head Cocktails (-6.3%), Truly (-31.5%), White Claw Spirits Cocktails (-40.6%) posted losses. Fresca Mixed Cocktails – the result of a partnership between Coke and Constellation – reported a +7% increase with +14.5% volume and -6.5% average pricing.
Flavored Malt Beverages
FMB sales decelerated in the two-week period at +8.1%, compared to +10.2% in the four-weeks and +16% in the 52-weeks. Volumes were up by +6.5% (+8.8% in the four-weeks) and average pricing growth rose slightly at +1.4%.
Hard Tea’s growth slowed slightly up +24.4% in the two-weeks, led by Twisted Tea with sales at +16.2% versus +30.8% for the 52-weeks.
Hard Lemonade sales continued to decline, down -5.5% in the two-week period versus -2.9% in the four-weeks and +2.1% in the 52-weeks. In that category, Simply Spiked sales decelerated -9% in the two-weeks, compared to -2.3% in the four-week period and +31.4% in the 52-week period.
Hard Soda dollar sales grew +45% for two-weeks versus +43.3% in the four-weeks and +44.9% in the 52-weeks. Hard MTN DEW growth dipped, down -22.34% compared to -19.6% in the four-weeks and -1.9% in the 52-weeks.
Hard Seltzer
Hard Seltzer sales continued to decline -11.1% in the period, worsening slightly from -10.3% in the four-weeks. Volumes were down -14% (-13% for four-weeks and -19.2% for 52-weeks), while average pricing remained relatively flat at 3.3%.
Frontrunner White Claw saw sales decline slightly at +0.2% in the two-week period versus +1.6% in the four-weeks and +1.3% in the 52-weeks. Truly (-20.1%) Topo Chico Hard Cider (-13.1%), Vizzy (-26.2%) and Lone River Ranch Water (-20.4%) all saw double-digit losses.